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Although most people who get COVID recover within a few days or, at most, weeks, we cannot ignore that this infection has already killed some 1.1 million Americans, and the death toll is currently about 4.000 per week. In addition, even those with only mild infections can experience the syndrome of "long COVID," which is marked by persistent, sometimes debilitating symptoms that last for months or even years following the acute infection.

According to a recent article in Nature Reviews Microbiology by Scripps Research’s Dr. Eric Topol and coworkers:

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The Wall Street Journal published a news article on January 5, “Why It Feels Like Everyone You Know Is Getting COVID-19,” which contained several worrisome observations. It cited “a seven-day average of more than 26,000 people hospitalized with COVID in late December, about double the number two months earlier,” noting that although the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths are far lower than during the previous two winters, “it remains a disruptive and rapidly spreading illness.”

Those were understatements. Within hours after the article appeared, the CDC released updated December numbers that were significantly worse. During the week from Dec 24-Dec 30, COVID hospitalizations were up 20.4% week-...

The number of deaths from COVID-19 is way down from its peak and pandemic-related restrictions and mandates have virtually disappeared, but there are hints we are in for a late summer surge in infections.

Most of us know people, first- or second-hand who have been infected recently.  The brother-in-law of a friend of mine attended a baby shower suffering from what he thought were summer allergies…and gave COVID to almost every other attendee.  In addition, two distinguished academic physicians known for dispensing advice on COVID recently had serious outcomes from their own bouts with the infection. 

In early July, Dr. Bob Wachter, the chairman of the Department...

MORNING DISPATCH 11/19/08: Dour Docs, Cancer Causes, Dire Diabetes, Smoke Scams, and Dementia Dissension

U.S. faces mounting diabetes cost
A new study estimates that diabetes will soon cost the United States over $200 billion per year. "Diabetes is very expensive and the cost will only increase as more people develop the condition," Dr. Ross says. Dr. Whelan agrees, "The coming wave of diabetes cases, which is linked to increasing obesity rates, is going to be overwhelming for our healthcare system."

Dr. Kava points out that the increase in Type 2 diabetes will reach many corners of medicine: "It's going to affect the number of kidney dialysis patients, the number...

MORNING DISPATCH 10/10/08: Tobacco, Infections, HIV, and Rights for Plants

ACSH's harm reduction approach attracts criticism
We received many comments yesterday about our support for R.J. Reynolds' new smokeless tobacco products, some taking issue with our harm reduction approach to quitting smoking. "While, in an ideal world, getting all smokers to simply stop being addicted to nicotine would be an easily attainable goal, this is not likely to happen in the real world," reiterates ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan.

New smokeless products, which dissolve in a user's mouth to deliver an...

February 13, 2009

Victories for Vaccines, Soda, Smokers, Cold Sufferers, Eggs, and Vacationers

Elizabeth Wade

Court rules in favor of vaccine safety

ACSH staffers are pleased that a special federal vaccine court followed the science and ruled against parents claiming that vaccines caused their children's autism. "The studies have been quite definitive on the fact that childhood vaccines have nothing to do with autism, and the three-judge panel commonly referred to as the 'vaccine court' seemed to exercise a very thorough analysis of the topic and came to the right conclusion," says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross.

ACSH's Jeff Stier notes, "We shouldn't rely on the courts to be the arbiter of science, but this decision is certainly good news. People who are...

DISPATCH: Environmentalists, Budget-Planners, and Candidates

Quote of the day:

Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace, said, "But I later learned that the environmental movement is not always guided by science. As we celebrate Earth Day, this is a good lesson to keep in mind." --the _Wall Street Journal_, April 22, 2008.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! There are many stories in the news about the environment and what impact we have on it and vice versa.

An opinion piece( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120882720657033391.html?mod=opinion_main... ) in today's WSJ by Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, tells why he left the organization after...

A shorter article derived from this "e-monograph" appears in the September/October 2003 issue of Skeptical Inquirer, with the title "Energy, Homeopathy, and Hypnosis in Santa Fe."

Todd Seavey is Director of Publications at the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org) and Editor of HealthFactsAndFears.com. His research for this project took place under the auspices of a Phillips Foundation journalism fellowship. The opinions expressed are entirely his own.

Table of contents

Introduction: A SYMPATHETIC LOOK AT VOODOO (SERIOUSLY)

Part...

Revised by Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., Director of Nutrition, ACSH

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Joseph F. Borzelleca, Ph.D.
Medical College of Virginia

Dale J. Chodos, M.D.
Kalamazoo, MI

Dean O. Cliver, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis

Michael A. Dubick, Ph.D.
Fort Sam Houston, TX

Ronald E. Kleinman, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital

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From "Ground Zero" to Heroes: A Nation Resolves to Stand Tall
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